Fresh Start

A fat, piping-hot bagel that puts the rest to shame

he secret of Café Fresh Bagels’ signature product? TLC. At least, that’s all the owners will divulge. One bite of these piping-hot bagels, and you can’t help but take their word. Much, much fatter than the other guys’ puny (and getting punier) varieties, these doughy treats are perfectly round and available in classic flavors like plain, egg, and sesame along with unique versions like sweet cinnamon glazed, rich chocolate chip, and fruity blueberry. Stop by for lunch and choose from a variety of enormous sandwiches, from homemade tuna fish to grilled chicken. The sandwiches come on a doughy bagel stuffed with fixings. Scooped bagels are available for customers on diets. The bland décor is decidedly unhip—but, seriously, is that what you look for in a bagel shop?—and the name isn’t as witty as those other bagel places’. But it’s certainly truth in advertising. Jacobson

Shhhh! Café Fresh is co-owned by the
Katsiayunis and Papapoboulos families, who
formerly ran the Atrium restaurant in
Westborough, the Atrium Deli in Framingham,
and the Maugus Restaurant in Wellesley.

Shhhh! When the families bought the shop in 1998, they changed the bagel and cream cheese recipes.

Shhhh! Bagels with the middles scooped out of them

Shhhh! There's also a location at
1155 Washington St. in Norwood.

Shhh who knew

Americans eat $430 million a year worth of supermarket bagel brands and another $51 million worth of frozen bagels, according to the American Institute of Baking. Well, there’s no accounting for taste.